Overview of Cities in America

1. Overview of Cities in America • In thought • positive or negative force • In politics • development of parties • Primary function • commercial vs. social/cultural centers

2. Political Development of US Cities • Theme - commercial enterprises • Colonial Town (1610 - 1770s) • 1700 250,000 Europeans • 1775 2.5 million • a nation of towns • towns (forts) used to settle‘west’

3. Political Development • Colonial towns • Charters granted by Crown to est. business enterprises • leadership in hands of those who chartered • corporate, self-rule • these are the roots of our towns/cities • still, largely agrarian society

4. Political Development • Colonial towns • Compare to European cities • What were / are there central features? • Commerce • 2? • 3?

5. Political Development • Early Republic (1770 - 1780s) • Anti-federalists v. Federalists • Conflict over founding highlighted worry about cities • Anti-feds worried about • commerce • corruption of virtue • loss of citizen contact with government

6. Political Development • The Early Republic (1790 - 1860) • Age of Jefferson • Jeffersonian critique of city • “mobs of cities are to pure democracy what sores are to the strength of the human body” • crowds, pursuit of commerce, recipe for corruption of public virtue • virtue in agriculture • Louisiana Purchase, 1803

7. Political Development of Cities • The Early Republic (1790 - 1860) • Age of Jackson • by 1820, lt 10% of population in cities • expansion of franchise (2x) • new organizations evolving to structure politics of cities.... • Volunteer Fire Departments • Mass based political parties

8. Political Development of US Cities • Age of Jackson • Volunteer Fire Departments • mass based • egalitarian • offered fellowship, social recognition • built by efforts of working class • hierarchical leadership

9. Political Development of Cities • Early Republic (1790 - 1860) • Jacksonian Democracy+urbanization = • frequent elections • more local offices elected • universal (white male) suffrage • nationalization of political parties • to the victor go the “spoils” • as of 1840s, not much ‘urban’

10. Political Development • Early America reflected agriculture interests • The Land Ordinance of 1785 • Louisiana Purchase (1803) • Immigration and industrialization resulted in growth of cities • Created jobs for immigrants from Ireland, Germany, Russia, Italy etc.

11. Political Development of Cities • Urbanization = • A new social process • What is it? • 1? • 2? • 3?

12. Political Development of Cities • Urbanization = • size, density, heterogeneity • Immigration • Industrialization • What effects on publics’ needs / demands? • housing, safety, fire, business regulations, sanitation, occupational safety, labor rules

13. Political Development of Cities • Late 19th Century Urbanization of cities • Federal government very limited • cities provided few services • private firms streetcars, lighting.. • first full-time NYC fire dept. 1865 • no civil service: employee = partisan • what effects urbanization, immigration, industrialization?

14. By 1860, only 20% of US population in cities & towns

15. But large cities home to millions of immigrants

16. By 1870s, some major cities ‘dominated’ by immigrants

17. Political Development of Cities • Immigrant Population, 1870 • New York City 44% • Chicago 48% • San Francisco 49 % • in 1850, 5% of US Catholics • by 1906, 17% of US Catholics

18. Urban Political Machines • Immigration • Urbanization • Industrialization • Expanded Democracy

19. Urban Political Machines • Why did they rise? • How were they structured? • Who did they serve? • Why did they fall?

20. Urban Party Machines • Industrialization, immigration, expanding democracy, + need for urban services. • Hierarchical with a “boss” at the top • City divided into wards and precincts • Clientele parties—machine provided jobs or help with housing in exchange for votes • Served working class and immigrant voters

21. Urban Party Machines • Patronage • Precinct-based politics • Precinct captain—provided information about residents’ needs (pub level politics) • Means for career advancement • District elections, large councils • Small districts were ethnically homogenous • Easier to organize

22. Urban Party Machines • Patronage • “if you go along, you get along” • loyalty purchased with material rewards • turkey on thanksgiving, coal for heating, assistance with police, a job.... • neighborhood leader tracks needs, delivers blocks of votes to party

23. Urban Party Machines • Partisan elections, party ballot • Machine required electing party loyalists • Elections were held with state and federal elections • Straight-ticket ballots—benefited all levels • Corruption • Some stuffing ballot boxes, bribery, and kickbacks, and graft (‘honest graft’)

24. Urban Party Machines • Graft • “selective” policing in exchange for $ • no-bid contracts awarded w/ kickbacks • no-bid contracts to machine leaders • construction, cement, furnishings • city grants loyalists utility monopolies • in exchange for $$ • speculate in lands city will purchase

25. Urban Party Machines • Machines benefited some illegal businesses • Also provided many services and building projects • Failed to address problems some key problems • Fraud

26. Urban Party Machines • Demise of machines • Inefficient • who benefited • role in national politics • any evidence of upward mobility? • who harmed? • businesses, taxpayers • what reaction?

27. Urban Party Machines • View from a group conflict perspective • 1) Immigrants • The others; mobs in city, Catholics, Jews, don’t speak English • 2) “WASP” Nativists • Prohibition, restrict immigration, fear of ‘anarchists,’ • Progressivism

28. Urban Party Machines • Demise of Machines (post 1900) • Rival groups • Labor, legit. business • Increased affluence • Slower immigration • Rise of Federal role in social services • New Deal 1930s

29. Urban Party Machines • Demise of Party Machines (post 1900) • Not total, but not at all the same • Chicago, Albany NY, parts of MA... • NJ • Much harder to organize a city with patronage, selective policing, overt corruption • WHY? How would you change rules to wipe out machines?

30. The Reform Movement • Who were they • Rural legislators • Upper status urban professionals • Upper status urban women • Still w/o right to vote • Progressive moralists • Religious activists

31. The Reform Movement • Broad Progressive “Agenda” • Suffrage • Work place safety • Food safety • Child labor laws • Labor rights • Prohibition • Political institutions

32. Reform Movement • The Machine city (summary): • very large council • district based representation • council with control over hiring, firing, spending • High turnout local elections • Machine power = majority on council • maybe Mayor matters....

33. The Reform Movement • National Municipal League • Model City Charter • A ‘business’ model of how to run cities • get the ‘politics’ out of city administration • not a partisan way to pick up garbage, sweep streets

34. The Reform Movement • A menu of items that could go in a city charter • 1) Merit-based civil service • de-personalize offices, universalistic standards, exams for hiring, promotions • 2) Detailed accounting systems • sealed competitive bids, publicize transactions, limit elected official influence on spending

35. The Reform Movement • Menu • 3) Take power from council • make part time job, independent commissions to administer services • City Manager • 4) Reduce size of councils • from 50 - 100 to less than 10 • 5) Weak vs. Strong Mayor? • Strong mayor = • savior? • machine control?

36. The Reform Movement • At-large, off year elections